Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-08-18

TO winch MS is reply, MIR. La
throp quotes line from the Clerk
of that city, and adds:
There appears to be a willful
mistatement of the facts, or a
glaring ignorance of the matter"
Well let us see. 1t should be
remembered that there are at
present two bridges across the
river at Wausau-one of them, the
upper,) having been built at a
comparatively recent date, and is
used by residents of the city al
most exclusively. The follow
ing letter from gentleman resid-
ing there, (who has lately investi-
gated the full facts by particular
request refers to the first and
main bridge, which it seems has
been replaced tz01ce, since it was
originally built:
''WAUsAU, Aug. 18th. 1887.
DEAR SIR You are right as to the history of
the main bridge here. The first two bridges
were built by the County, and were repaired at
different times by county expense. The present
bridge was built by the Comfy and the city of
WauSau-the County contributing Sc, 900 for that
purpose. As there are many large streams in
this County that the County has assisted in
bridging. the City of Wausau decided last winter
to take advantage of the Statute, and notified
the County that hereafter the City would erect
and maintain its own bridges. This leaves it
for the County outside the City to maintain all
other bridges in the County.
G. D. JONES'
This aCCOrdS precisely with what
was said before. We'd not state
that Marathon County n070 main
tains the bridge. But it is true, as
stated, that Marathon County
built, for a long time maintained,
and when necessary rebuilt, the
(principal) bridge across the river
at Wausau. 1t seems also that
the county paid literally towards
rebuilding it a second time, and
that it is now relieved from main
tanning it, in part, only because of
the voluntary action Of the city in
assuming to maintain it alone, in
order to avoid it's share of the ex-
pense of maintaining bridges in
the county, outside of the city.
The policy which has been and is
being pursued in Marathon County
sin substance and effectethe same
as is advocated by the writer and
others in the article which elected
Mr., Lathrop's thunder. That
policy has done very much to de-
velop and enrich Marathon County.
A similar policy has produced
similarresults elsewhere as it will
do in this county, if our people
will adopt and adhere to it.
Many reasons why the bridge
here should not and cannot be
made toll bridge were quite fully
set forth in the former article,
reference to which has SO often
been made. In view of the great
length of this article, it would be
out of place to repeat them here,
or to add others, even to please
Mr.. Lathrop. If the reasons
given have no weight with him, it
is to be regretted; but it is not the
fault of the reasons. The policy
that ought to prevail with refer
ence to this bridge need not and
ought not to depend las Mr.. La
throp insists it should, upon what
is Or is not done with bridges else
where. The situation here is
exceptional, and the policy
may we'll be exceptional.
But there is no uniform rule. In
some places bridges have been
built and maintained by the coun-
ty; in others by the county jointly
with the locality having it; in 9th
ers by the locality and a railroad
company jointly; and in others
still, by the locality-town or city
alone. This simply proves that
in each locality that policy is
adopted which is deemed wisest
and fairest, in view of all the sur
rounding facts and interests. The
policy adopted and adhered to
here was the only one that could
secure us a bridge-the only one
which could have continued it
without rank injustice to many
people, who could lily afford to
endure it. 1t is not pretended
that every step that has been TAX
en- in our county affairs has been
entirely right, and in all things
wise. Far from it. And those of
us residing in this part of the
county, for whatever part or lot
we have had in it, are most willing
to be fairly criticised, and wherev-
er wrong, condemned. We most
earnestly protest, however, as we
have right to do, that we should
not be charged with errors that
we never committed, with respon-
sibilities that do not belong to US,
with motives that we never enter
tanned, with sins that were never
committed, and all without a shad-
ow Of truth upon which to base